Designated as American Heart Month 56 years ago, February is a time for us to learn more about heart-healthy tips and preventing heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year — that’s one in every four deaths. Moreover, about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack every year, and about 75 percent of those people are experiencing their first heart attack. While heart disease is preventable, the American Heart Association states that nearly 60 percent of people put no effort into improving their heart health.

Let’s change that. There are many actions we can take toward heart-healthy living and in protecting our cardiac health, which starts with understanding our risks.

“To support heart health, I visit with patients who have heart problems or potential heart problems to help them feel better, live longer and rule out any detrimental cardiac issues,” said Dr. Nelson Prager, new cardiologist at Memorial Regional Health.

What is heart disease and who is at risk?

Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, with the most common being coronary heart disease, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Coronary heart disease occurs when a person’s arteries become clogged and can lead to stroke, heart failure and peripheral artery disease.

Essentially, as plaque builds up in the arteries from fat, cholesterol, calcium and other substances, the amount of oxygen-rich blood that is sent to your heart gets reduced. This causes chest pain and can also lead to blood clots, which block blood flow to the heart, commonly ending in a heart attack.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and nearly one in four adults aged 20 to 44 are affected, according to the CDC.

Anyone, including children, can develop heart disease, the CDC reports. Americans who are at higher risk for heart disease include those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or who are smokers. According to the CDC, other risk factors include:

• Diabetes
• Being overweight/obesity
• Eating an unhealthy diet
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

To determine if you have heart disease, your provider will perform several tests such as a chest X-ray, a coronary angiogram, an electrocardiogram and/or an exercise stress test.

Heart-healthy tips to practice

Heart disease is preventable. To protect yourself from heart diseases, ask your provider about your blood pressure, cholesterol and other important heart numbers. If your numbers are high, they can work with you about treating your condition or prevent it from worsening.

“Don’t smoke; eat a healthy diet; exercise; and if you have symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeat, don’t ignore them,” Dr. Prager said.

Other helpful tips from healthcare organizations include:

• Eat healthier — Reduce the sodium, added sugars and saturated and trans fats in your diet while increasing the number of vegetables, fruits and whole grains that you intake.
• Be active —Even if you’re just moving your body for 10 minutes a day, getting physical activity can lower your cholesterol levels, help you manage high blood pressure and lower your risk for diabetes.
• Maintain a healthy weight — Try to keep your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 but take these numbers with a grain of salt. Talk to your healthcare provider about what BMI is right for you, and if you are overweight, a weight loss plan may be necessary.
• Quit smoking (or don’t start!) — This habit can raise your risk of heart disease and heart attack. It can also worsen other heart disease risk factors. If you need help quitting, talk to your healthcare provider for resources.
• Manage your stress — Research shows that stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors. Participate in healthy stress-reducing activities such as therapy, medication and being physically active, if necessary.

Need some inspiration? The NIH has a “28 Days Towards a Healthy Heart” chart that you can follow throughout the month of February to get you started!